Trivia Q&A: January 20

We had 14 teams in for Trivia Night, as the bar wasn't as crowded as the previous few weeks, probably due to the Obama inauguration. But it would prove to be one of the most controversial nights of Trivia we have ever had.

In the "Born in New York City Trivia," I had Eddie Murphy originally listed as having been born in New Jersey, as I found that info on his Wikipedia page. But more than a few trivia players pointed out to me that he was actually born in Brooklyn. So with that, I tossed the question and gave everyone a point. (I'll be more careful the next time I use a category like this for The Q Train.)

But even more controversy was just around the corner. We had our first tie in a few months, and had to break it. I pulled out a question I came up with back in October, and ironically enough, used it on the night of the inauguration: "Between 1 and 100, what was Barack Obama's number in terms of overall experience in the US Senate?" The answer was 86, and the team of My Dixie Wrecked was closest to the answer and was awarded the win.

But it was pointed out to me by another team that they had looked up an answer during the IQ Trivia round, and admitted to doing it after I found out about it. (I am very specific before Trivia Night begins that you cannot use any "cheating devices" like cell phones or BlackBerrys.) The team's captain said to give the team they tied the first place prize, which I did. So Obama's Toaster is Full of Rims was awarded the victory. Good work, guys, as before the night a couple of team members were confident of victory, as they came up just one point short last week.

Current Events
1. This Oscar-winning actress was recently selected to sing the national anthem at next month's Super Bowl.
2. This legendary Mexican-born actor, known for his elegant and suave style, died last week at the age of 88.
3. This company, the nation's second-largest consumer electronics retailer, announed last Friday it is closing all its US stores and going out of business.
4. A lawsuit brought by the former maid of this former model, whom she called a "violent super-bigot" was settled out of court last week.
5. The Star-Tribune, this large Midwestern city's largest newspaper, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last Thursday in an attempt to restructure its debt.
6. This onetime pop superstar was sentenced to 15 months in jail last week for false imprisonment of a man in a cocaine-fuelled outburst of paranoid fury.
7. Name 3 of the 5 artists who were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last week.

Answers: 1. Jennifer Hudson; 2. Ricardo Montalban; 3. Circuit City; 4. Naomi Campbell; 5. Minneapolis; 6. Boy George; 7. Metallica, Jeff Beck, Bobby Womack, Run-DMC, Little Anthony and the Imperials.

Presidential Trivia
1. What university has produced the most US presidents, with eight?
2. Who was the shortest president?
3. Who was the last president who also served as vice president?
4. Who was the only president who never married?
5. What Protestant denomination has the most presidents been a part of?
6. Who was the only president elected to two non-consecutive terms?
7. Who was the first President to fly in an airplane while in office?

Answers: 1. Harvard; 2. James Madison (5' 4"); 3. George H.W. Bush; 4. James Buchanan; 5. Episcopalian; 6. Grover Cleveland; 7. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Born in New York City Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Alicia Keys
2. Michael Bloomberg
3. James Gandolfini
4. Billy Joel
5. Barbra Streisand
6. Eddie Murphy
7. Robert DeNiro
8. Bruce Springsteen
9. Carly Simon
10. John Travolta

Answers: 1. yes (Manhattan); 2. no (Brighton, MA); 3. no (Westwood, NJ); 4. yes (The Bronx); 5. yes (Brooklyn); 6. yes (Brooklyn); 7. yes (Manhattan); 8. no (Long Branch, NJ); 9. yes (The Bronx); 10. no (Englewood, NJ).

General Knowledge
1. What does "R" stand for in the acronym RICO?
2. How many articles are there in the US Constitution?
3. In what sport do players wear wicker gloves in order to hurl a ball nearly 150 MPH?
4. What condiment is made of soy sauce, garlic and molasses?
5. What hotel was the scene of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in Los Angeles in 1968?
6. What Republican congressman resigned in 2006 over some explicit emails he sent out?
7. What is the unit of measurement for the amount of energy we receive from food?

Answers: 1. racketeering; 2. seven; 3. jai alai; 4. Worcestshire sauce; 5. Ambassador; 6. Mark Foley; 7. calorie.

IQ Trivia
1. What George Gershwin tune did United Airlines in 1987 pay $500,000 to use in their TV commercials? ( 4 points)
2. What island nation is the world's largest producer of cinnamon? ( 5 points)
3. What US state borders the most Canadian provinces? ( 4 points)
4. What foreign language school was launched in Providence, RI in 1878? ( 3 points)
5. What bird is the official state bird of seven different US states? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. "Rhapsody in Blue;" 2. Sri Lanka; 3. Montana; 4. Berlitz; 5. cardinal.